Alta Badia

Snowshoe hike San Cassiano - Valparola Alp - Valparola Pass

Erittäin helppoa

This snowshoe excursion which starts in San Cassiano, will take you through snow-covered meadows and forests to the Malga Valparola Alp, an historic site, where the mineral extracted here, was transported, underwent smelting and transformed into iron. The ruins of the smelting furnaces are now abandoned and in pieces. 

Today, only the hut’s name (Hut of the Iron Furnaces in German) serves as a reminder of the economic prosperity, now long gone, once enjoyed by this extraordinarily picturesque place.

The Valparola hut is closed in winter.

*By car

• Coming from Innsbruck: take the A 13 and the A 22 toll motorway and exit at Bressanone/Brixen, following the signs to Brunico/Bruneck along the Val Pusteria/Pustertal road as far as San Lorenzo/St.Lorenzen. Follow the signs to Val Badia/Gadertal 
• Coming from Verona-Bolzano: take the A 22, exit at Bressanone/Brixen and continue as above

*By train

The nearest train stations are:

• Brunico - 37 Km
• Bolzano (via Passo Gardena) - 72 Km (via Brunico) – 100 Km
• Connection train station – Alta Badia by the local bus SAD: www.sad.it

*By air

• Innsbruck - 130 km
• Munich – 330 km
• Venice Treviso / Venice Marco Polo – 180 / 200 km
• Verona – 213 km
• Milan Bergamo / Milan Malpensa - 310 /400 km
• Information airport transfer: www.suedtirolbus.it - www.cortinaexpress.it

Take trail nr. 18, going south, from Hotel Armentarola, crossing the river close to the Hotel Gran Ancëi. Go straight on, through the beautiful snow-clad Pre de Costa meadows, coming to a junction at the edge of the wood. Pass this by, still following trail nr. 18, on a slight incline, right in the middle of extremely lovely woods and meadows (50min.).

Moving on from the "malghe", climb up keeping to the left, still through the wood, coming next to the provincial road from San Cassiano to Passo Valparola. Another 600 metres and you bear left, then right but always following the signs for Passo Valparola, passing a small war cemetery, and in a short space of time, coming out once more on the provincial road which, in just a few minutes, brings you to Passo Valparola and the bus stop.